Good, cheap headphones.
Written: Jun 18 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Sound quality decent for the low price
Cons: Overly strong springs in self-adjusting headband mechanism
The Bottom Line: Despite a few flaws, the Sony MDR-301LP is a good (if overlooked) pair of headphones for a modest price.
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| LetItRut's Full Review: Sony MDR-301LP Consumer Headphones |
The Sony MDR-301LP headphones are some of the most overlooked headphones currently on the market. Why do so many people review $70 Grados and $200-$350 Sennheisers - and dismiss all of the $20 non-earbud Sonys as crappy without ever listening to these MDR-301LP's? Out of curiosity, I bought them in 1998, shortly after they were introduced. They have a self-adjusting headband, swiveling earpieces, and a 4.9-foot-long single-sided cord that terminates in a 3.5mm gold-plated plug and a snap-on 3.5 to 6.3 mm gold-plated adapter. I had very low expectations for any pair of Sony headphones priced under $30.
Well, to my surprise the MDR-301LP's far exceeded my expectations. They sounded as if Grado were to have manufactured a cheaper version of the $40 entry-level SR-40's! The bass has lots of impact and some depth and control; mids aren't as recessed as many other cheap headphones; highs have a slight peak, but clear. They are sensitive enough for use with most portable audio equipment.
The MDR-301LP's are very comfortable for me to wear despite the "on-the-ear" (supraural) design with exposed foam earpads. The earpieces of the MDR-301LP's put much less pressure on the ears than those of most other on-the-ear headphones. One nit: The self-adjusting headband doesn't always hold its position. That may be due to the springs used in the adjuster mechanism are too strong; the headband always likes to retract to the headphones' smallest position.
As for durability, the MDR-301LP's should last a few years. But that's just about par for a pair of $20 headphones(though I paid more for them). The design sometimes allows long hair to be stuck inside the headphones, causing some buzzing in the sound. The self-adjusting headband can also snag long hair and pull it into the earpieces.
Recommended:
Yes
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LetItRut
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Location: Melrose Park, IL, USA
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An audio enthusiast and a computer geek who loves bike riding.
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